Alexander Skarsgard ‘adores’ Nicole Kidman

Alexander Skarsgard “adores” Nicole Kidman but they want to work on something more lighthearted together in future.

Alexander Skarsgard “adores” Nicole Kidman.

The 48-year-old actor played the Oscar-winning star’s abusive husband in ‘Big Little Lies’ and they went on to work together again in ‘The Northman’, in which she played his character’s incestuous mother and he has praised Nicole as “one of the greatest” performers in the industry.

He told Observer magazine: “I adore her. My experience on ‘Big Little Lies’ is what made us approach Nicole for ‘The Northman’.

“It was incredibly difficult on ‘Big Little Lies’ to explore that intense, abusive relationship with Nicole but she’s one of the greatest out there for a reason. She’s so committed, generous and ego-free. She does whatever serves the scene.

“There was no question we wanted her as Amleth’s mother in ‘The Northman’, which is another very complicated, dark relationship.”

The pair are keen to work together again in the future but would rather a lighter project.

Alexander said: “After that, Nicole and I basically said: Let’s do something else together but without any incest or abuse. Maybe a light romcom. Perhaps we could play siblings who open a cake shop together.”

Alexander’s brothers, Gustaf, Bill and Valter are also actors and he is thankful they don’t go out for similar roles.

Asked if they are competitive with one another, he said: “No. Maybe it would be different if we went up for the same role, but we don’t really.

“Imagine if we were all reading the same script, getting excited about the same part, then one of us got it but the others didn’t. You’d hear about it at every family dinner for years.”

The ‘Succession’ star is relieved he found success before the “nepo baby” tag became so widespread, but admitted his association with his dad, screen legend Stellan Skarsgard, has resulted in him grappling with imposter syndrome over the years.

He said: ” I don’t know if it’s harder today but it’s probably more annoying. You have to discuss it more.

“When I first started, people still compared me to my father or asked if I got jobs because of my last name.

“I definitely questioned that as well in times of insecurity. 20 years later, I still have imposter syndrome moments when I’m like, ‘I probably wouldn’t have gotten this if it hadn’t been for my dad. F***! Am I any good?”